Our Past Shows
In the player below you can watch all of our past videos. Just click on the 3 horizontal line menu in the viewer's upper left-hand corner. This will drop down a clickable listing of all the past Laidback Bike Reports in reverse chronological order.
Listed below are each of our shows in reverse chronological order.
Just click on the title of the show to go directly to the YouTube video.
Just click on the title of the show to go directly to the YouTube video.
Recumbent Cycle-Con 2018 Panel Review
Want to learn and see more about the very latest in recumbent bikes, trikes and accessories? There is no better venue in the USA than the Recumbent Cycle-Con show which was held in Nashville, Tennessee. Our complete coverage video is a couple of weeks away but in this show we share tons of pictures and our thoughts on everything we saw at this event. All of these panelists attended RCC and will talk about what surprised them, excited them and perhaps disappointed them. Join Bryan Ball, Doug Davis, Tray Bergoyne, Peter Stull, Larry Varney, Mike Mowett, John Schlitter and me as we answer your questions on Live Chat and do our best to bring this event to you.
tim Brummer of Lightning Bikes
You won't find a more legendary recumbent bike than the Lightning P-38. Designed and built by former Boeing engineer Tim Brummer this bent broke records early on and still holds RAAM titles to this day. This versatile bike is still available and popular for touring and recreational riding. We talk to Tim about his history with this bike, what changes he has made and his ideas about how it compares to more recent bent designs being sold today. We chat with Chuck Coyne on the latest about Recumbent Cycle-Con in October and Bryan, Larry and Peter with their segments as always.
World Human Powered speed challenge live from Battle Mountain #3
World Human Powered speed challenge live from Battle Mountain #2
World Human Powered speed challenge live from Battle Mountain #1
Live updates from the World Human Powered Speed Challenge in Battle Mountain, Nevada. Noted Dutch photographer Bas de Meijer is our correspondent on the scene and he takes us on a tour of the staging area, interviews with the racers and right to the track. We see a glimpse into three days of the excitement where the fastest humans on earth come to compete.
"A Girl-A Dog-A Violin-On a Trike"-Meet World Traveler Jasmine Reese
Jasmine Reese is a classical violin player who travels the world on a recumbent trike with her dog Figi. She makes her music come alive by finding opportunities to collaborate with other musicians and playing for groups while on the road. We chat with her about her plans to tour the world , her music and how Figi fits into her life. Bryan has the latest news, Denny the sports and Peter our history lesson.
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A visit to the Ice trikes factory
I was fortunate enough to spend a couple of days in Cornwall, England last week learning about the everything that goes into making ICE Trikes. Their well known dedication to quality products and legendary customer service follow naturally from the workplace I observed while there. Watch this short video I made at the factory and see if you don't agree.
World Human Powered Vehicle Championship coverage video
You'll see every sort of bike the human imagination can conjure up racing at this elite track in Kent, England. From lowracers to highracers and from trikes to velomobiles to pedal cars riders come from far and wide to compete against the best. We cover it all at ground level and from high above Betteshanger Park. Turn up the volume and put on your headphones as we worked especially hard to bring you the incredible sounds as well as the sights of this exciting competition. We also have interviews with bike designer legend Mike Burrows and fellow YouTuber John Williams. Special thanks to ICE Trikes for sponsoring this event and our coverage.
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Trans Am 2018 Winners and HPV Racing
Why do recumbent bikes dominate the world of HPV racing? On this webcast we talk to some prominent racers to learn more about them, their bikes and how the everyday bentrider can benefit from their experience. We interview the winner of the recent Trans American Bike Race Marcel Graber from Switzerland and the 4th place finisher Dave Lewis both of whom rode velomobiles. To talk about shorter distance HPV racing from Detroit we chat with Mike Mowett and from Amsterdam Arnold Ligtvoet. News and Sports updates and Peter Stull with another bent history segment will round out the show.
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paul elkins-diy
A creative spirit like few others Paul Elkins has been building recumbents of his own design since the late 1970s. From rear wheel drive two wheelers to multi person quads his projects are closely followed by thousands on his website and YouTube channel. Paul joins us to talk about his bent history, projects and what he's got in mind for future projects. We also get a history of ICE Trikes from Peter Stull and a serious discussion about the 2018 Trans Am Bike Race and the two velomobiles fighting for the lead.
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Our Southern Rhine Valley Trike Tour
Come along with us as four bent riding friends explore the beauty and history of the Southern Rhine Valley. We do a springtime tour through France, Switzerland and Germany finding new friends along the way. Special thanks to HP Velotechnik for furnishing two well outfitted e-assisted Scorpion fs trikes for our use. Full daily journals and maps of this trip of a lifetime can be found here.
Pictures of the trip are here.
Pictures of the trip are here.
Special from Spezi 2018
Spezi is the world's largest recumbent event. We are there again with our most ambitious video yet to witness all the velomobiles, bikes, trikes and the folks riding around on test tracks. See dozens of Interviews of all the major bent manufacturers as they reveal their latest offerings and updates.
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Panel review of spezi 2018
We're just back from the largest recumbent event in the world-Spezi 2018. Join Bryan Ball, Lars Komm and Gary Solomon as we share our pictures and experiences of the bikes, trikes, velomobiles seen by the many thousands of enthusiasts in Germersheim, Germany for this year's show.
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Lady Recumbent Riding Blogger "Liegerad Frau"
Maria Jeanne Dompierre is widely known throughout Germany as the Liegerad Frau or recumbent bike riding woman. As such she considers herself to be in a "fringe group within a fringe group." Her blog has become a popular place for bent riders of both genders to find reviews and opinions about recumbent products and issues affecting laid back riders everywhere. Her YouTube channel is well stocked with fascinating interviews of German events and manufacturers. We ask Maria about commuting, e-assist haters and how she is treated as a lady bent rider in Europe. Your questions are welcome in the Live Chat so come be a part of this webcast. Bryan, Denny and Peter have their segments and we have a special live visit with Sylvia Halpern from Central America where is trike touring.
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Teacher Thrills Class with Velomobile Building Skills-Craig calfee talks buying easy racers
Meet Jeff Bishop. He is a licensed Pedicab driver. He likes handlebars. The evidence for this is found both on his upper lip and in the way he controls the pedal powered vehicles he rides or builds himself. In this webcast you will quickly learn that Jeff doesn't do things the way most people do. We will discover the story of Jeff's unique velomobile project and how he uses this to create teachable moments for his students. We are excited to have pioneering bicycle designer Craig Calfee on to discuss his intention to buy Easy Racers. Peter Stull the "Bicycle Man" will return for his next segment on Recumbent History and Bryan and Larry bring us a review of the new Catrike 700.
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Click Here for Live Chat Archive for this Show
647 MIles in 24 hours! Bike Sebring Races
Sebring International Raceway is a historic Florida automobile venue. Once a year bicycles are allowed to use this track as part of the Bike Sebring 12/24 and recumbents are welcomed. There are three events composing this annual February mecca for ultracyclists everywhere: 100 miles, a 12 hour and a 24 hour race. The Laidback Bike Report visited the race last weekend and we shared in the excitement as recumbent riders completely dominated the victory platform. Join us as we interview some of the winners at this year's event including 24 hour record breaker and velonaut Dave Lewis and top century finishers Larry Oslund and Jim Parker representing Cruzbike. We talk about super human efforts and exciting finishes with lots of pictures from the road and track. Jim also tells us about his amazing efforts to scientifically test the relative safety of upright bikes vs bents. Peter shows us pictures of the history of recumbent racing as he continues his series.
Click here for the Live Chat Archive for this show
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Visiting the new schlitter bike shop-special report
Sebring 2018 Pre-Race Interviews-Special report
Bents rule at bike sebring 2018-special report
Home Built amphibious bent Quadyak
Peter Stull the Bicycle Man tells us about a few of his historic recumbent bike museum pieces and Randy Ridings talks about his amazing amphibious recumbent quad. From the Laidback News Desk Bryan discusses the winners of the BentRider Bike, Trike and Accessory of 2017 awards. Denny rounds out the webcast with sports. Prizes and surprises abound in the LBBR contest this month.
Click here for the Live Chat Archive for this show
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Velo Racing Crashing & Birthing
A look at what's happening in the world of Velomobiles in 2017. From Dallas Doug Davis talks about his cross country PAC tour in his velomobile and his thoughts on long distance racing in a velo. John Williams chats with us from London about his recent velo crash into a car at 25 mph. We also have Sinner Bikes velomobile guru Harry Leiben on from the Netherlands to tell us all about the newest Velo in development in the Netherlands--the Hilgo. Bryan and Denny give us their reports on the news and sports and we'll continue with another contest segment for our live viewers. In a surprise announcement Charles Coyne of Recumbent and Tandem Rider Magazine opened up the show to reveal the location and dates of Recumbent Cycle-Con 2018 so don't miss this last episode of the year from the Laidback Bike Report.
Click Here for Live Chat Archive for this Show
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Recumbent Cycle-Con 2017-Panel Review
Bryan Ball, Denny Voorhees, Julian Hadley and Gary Solomon share their recent Cycle-Con experience with our viewers. You'll see pictures of the people and products we saw as we chat about all the bents and accessories we found interesting. Also Mike Librik from Easy Street Recumbents comes on to talk about his Indiegogo campaign to open a second recumbent bike shop.
Click here for Live Chat Archive
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Recumbent Cycle-Con 2017 Complete Coverage Video
What’s new in the world of recumbent bikes and trikes? To answer that question we bring you our comprehensive coverage of the 2017 Recumbent Cycle-Con from the Philadelphia Expo Center. All of the major manufacturers are interviewed about their offerings with a ton of closeup shots included. You’ll discover lots of demo action on the test track including some of the latest prototypes being ridden. For the truly addicted benthead watch all 2 hours at once. For those few who might have a life beyond recumbent biking I have included a handy table of contents with links to all the exhibitors in the description section of the YouTube page. You can click on any of the exhibitors or sections of the video and jump around to your heart’s content. Then return as often as you wish for more.
We would not be able to do what we do without the financial assistance of our Sponsors and Patrons. Please support the Laidback Bike Report by supporting them with your purchases. Here are the recumbent industry stars that make this all possible:
Major Sponsor: Trident Trikes. Patron Sponsors: AZUB, Bent Up Cycles, Connecticut Yankee Peddler, CRUZBIKE, Falco e-Motors, Greenspeed Trikes, Hase Bikes, Hostel Shoppe, HP Velotechnik International, ICE Trikes, Jersey Bents, Recumbent Cycle-Con/Recumbent & Tandem Magazine, Recumbentpdx, TerraCycle Inc., and Trailside.bike.
We would not be able to do what we do without the financial assistance of our Sponsors and Patrons. Please support the Laidback Bike Report by supporting them with your purchases. Here are the recumbent industry stars that make this all possible:
Major Sponsor: Trident Trikes. Patron Sponsors: AZUB, Bent Up Cycles, Connecticut Yankee Peddler, CRUZBIKE, Falco e-Motors, Greenspeed Trikes, Hase Bikes, Hostel Shoppe, HP Velotechnik International, ICE Trikes, Jersey Bents, Recumbent Cycle-Con/Recumbent & Tandem Magazine, Recumbentpdx, TerraCycle Inc., and Trailside.bike.
Travel by Trike's Sylvia Halpern
"But is it safe for a woman to tour by herself around the world these days?" This is probably the most common question asked of our guest Sylvia Halpern. Check out this wide ranging interview with one of the most widely known and admired trike tourists in the world. We talked about the places she's been and her recommendations for gear to plan your next epic adventure on a trike.
Click here for Live Chat Archive for this Show
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"Fat Chick Goes AWOL" Author Anna Mitchell
Meet award winning Australian author Anna Mitchell a self described "Fat Chick" who gave up her safe but unremarkable life to do what such girls never do. She bought a recumbent trike and set out on her "armchair on wheels" to discover her country and find adventure. We chat about her life, her sense of humor and her book "Fat Chick Goes AWOL" which can be found on Amazon or on her website.
Anna has graciously offered a 20% discount to Laidback Bike Report viewers on the purchase of her book at her website only. This discount will not work on Amazon! Our Australian viewers can use this discount on either hard copy or e-book versions. Viewers outside of Australia can still take advantage by downloading the e-book version. American viewers will pay just over $6 so check it out. Here's how to get your 20% off:
Go to the Fat Chick Goes AWOL website here: http://www.fatchickgoesawol.com/
Click "Buy the Book"
Select the version option you like
Click "Add to Cart"
Use the Discount Code: Laidback20
Update Cart
Checkout with PayPal
Anna has graciously offered a 20% discount to Laidback Bike Report viewers on the purchase of her book at her website only. This discount will not work on Amazon! Our Australian viewers can use this discount on either hard copy or e-book versions. Viewers outside of Australia can still take advantage by downloading the e-book version. American viewers will pay just over $6 so check it out. Here's how to get your 20% off:
Go to the Fat Chick Goes AWOL website here: http://www.fatchickgoesawol.com/
Click "Buy the Book"
Select the version option you like
Click "Add to Cart"
Use the Discount Code: Laidback20
Update Cart
Checkout with PayPal
Click here for the Live Chat Archive for this Show
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Matt Galat "JaYoe World Trike Tour"
Matt Galat isn't the only trike rider out there touring the world. What makes him so unique is the way he takes us all along for the experience using his daily video blog to record and share nearly every important moment of his life on the road. These addictive YouTube videos leave one helpless against the overwhelming urge to avoid the next day's edition. I know because I've tried and failed to skip a day or two. His work simply compels us to find out "What is happening to Matt today?" His stories are endlessly fascinating and the drone footage he shoots while riding his trike are simply breathtaking. Matt is on a break from riding (most recently in Japan) for a couple of weeks while he visits with his family in the Detroit area. It is here where we catch up with him for a live interview and find out as much as we can about his life as a daily vlogger, his current world trike tour and his plans for the future.
The Special Edition LBBR was sponsored by: |
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Click here for the Live Chat archive for this Show
Our Appearance on a German TV Documentary on Bikes
A film crew from German public television produced a documentary in the summer of 2017 about the Spezi show. Included in this was a segment on the Laidback Bike Report and our connection to the event. Very cool!
C. G. Rasmussen History of the Velomobile
Carl Georg Rasmussen could be considered the father of the modern velomobile. In the 1970s he developed the Leitra in response to the gasoline shortage that was gripping the world at the time. These venerable velomobiles are still sold today along with those from newer more modern makers. We asked C. G. to present his slideshow on the history of all velomobiles then chatted about his memories of the origin of the Leitra and his personal history. This interview was done live from Copenhagen, Denmark.
Click here for the Live Chat Archive for this show
Special from Spezi 2017
Another epic Spezi show in the books. Bent manufacturers large and small talk to us about why you should be interested in their products. See the latest technology and marvel at the beautiful designs that were on display at the worlds largest recumbent gathering. I think you'll even find a few surprises in this comprehensive review from Germersheim, Germany.
Special thanks to Tom Flohr and Trident Trikes. As Major Sponsors they made the Laidback Bike Report Special from Spezi 2017 possible. |
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Velocity USA
We interviewed Dave DeYoung from Velocity USA live from their Grand Rapids, Michigan facility. He talked about what goes into the design and manufacture of the wheels that so many bent riders depend on every day. Bryan, Denny an Dana had their respective reports and we even snuck in a live chat with a bent couple touring Japan. Thanks to our Sponsor-Recumbent and Tandem Rider Magazine and Recumbent Cycle-Con.
Click here for Live Chat Archive for this show
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Our Spezi 2017 Experience
Bryan Ball, Lars Komm and Gary Solomon had a wide ranging retrospective panel discussion of our Spezi 2017 experiences. We showed lots of pictures from our two days at the world's largest "special bike" show in Germersheim, Germany. We chat about what we saw and the stories that made our trip so much fun. We also had Maria and Lucia Parker from Cruzbike on to talk about their recent successful launch of the T50 on Kickstarter.
Click here for Live Chat Archive for this show
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Rans Bikes and Jerrell Nichols
The name RANS has a long and storied history in the recumbent world. We talk to Jerrell Nichols who purchased the company in 2015 from Randy Schlitter. He and his wife Kara have transformed this business into a competitive 21st century enterprise while remaining true to its rural Kansas roots. We ask about his current offerings and what might be on the drawing board. Then Jerrell takes us on a live tour of his shop and welds a Rans Rocket frame right before our eyes.
Our next guest was Alan Mikoleit. He is an inventor who has come up with a new delta design trike made totally of composites that he eventually plans to turn into a velomobile. We saw pictures of his development process and had a live look at his working prototype.
Doug Davis returns to the panel to discuss his experiences at the Heart of Texas Recumbent Rally and the Texas Senior Games where he found lots of bent riders participating.
Bryan Ball gave us a review of the Greenspeed Aero on the News, Denny Voorhees talked RAAM at the Sports desk and Dana Lieberman was at his shop with a tutorial on rear derailleurs/shifters rounded out another packed webcast.
Our next guest was Alan Mikoleit. He is an inventor who has come up with a new delta design trike made totally of composites that he eventually plans to turn into a velomobile. We saw pictures of his development process and had a live look at his working prototype.
Doug Davis returns to the panel to discuss his experiences at the Heart of Texas Recumbent Rally and the Texas Senior Games where he found lots of bent riders participating.
Bryan Ball gave us a review of the Greenspeed Aero on the News, Denny Voorhees talked RAAM at the Sports desk and Dana Lieberman was at his shop with a tutorial on rear derailleurs/shifters rounded out another packed webcast.
Click here for the Live Chat Archive for this Show
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Recumbents and the Law
Have you been pulled over by the police while riding your bent? Doug Grosjean has had this experience more than anyone we've found yet. He has been subjected to over 70 traffic stops while riding his velomobile in the Detroit area over the last two years. Then there is Kevin Nesbitt who rides in Toronto. He was on to say that this is not just a US problem. Steve Magas is known as Ohio's Bike Lawyer. He has written about Ohio Bike Laws, bike crashes, bicycle advocacy and worked on court cases all over America for over 30 years. We'll ask his opinion about these and other legal issues facing us each time we hit the road on our bents. Bryan talked about an AZUB recall and the brand new Catrike Road AR. Bill Spaeth and Sandy Earl told us about their training regimen for RAAM 2017 where they hope to set the 2 person mixed recumbent record.
Click Here for the Live Chat Archive for this Show
The Making of a Velomobile
From the Czech Republic we chatted with Stephane Boving owner of the Velomobile company Katanga. We learned about the manufacturing process and everything that goes into the designing and building of these sleek recumbent human powered vehicles. Stephane took us on a live tour of his shop and gave us a step by step look at how he assembles the velomobiles known as the WAW. Joining us again on the panel were Velonauts extraordinaire Josef Janning discussing his new Quattrovelo along with Doug Davis and Luc Fornier.
Click here for the Live Chat Archive for this show
Steven K. Roberts-High Tech Nomad
He left his ordinary suburban work-a-day existence in 1983 to create a new life on the road. Riding what was then a rare type of vehicle known as a recumbent bike he traveled 17,000 miles over the next 10 years. His was no ordinary recumbent bike. Laden with electronic equipment representing the cutting edge of technology Steven turned the story of his journey into the acclaimed book Computing Across America. Watch as we meet Steve Roberts and find out why he became known as the "High Tech Nomad".
Click here for this show's Live YouTube Chat Archive
December 2016-Open Forum
On this Open Forum we chatted about Bentrider's yearly awards, how to pick a new trike, seat options on your bent and Phil Paulsen came on to describe two bents he is selling. If you are interested in Phil Paulsen's recumbent bikes or have any questions for him you may contact him here: bentpilot3@gmail.com
Click here for this show's YouTube Live Chat Archive
Paul Gallagher of XShifter
What if you could change the gears on your bent without cables or shifters? How about using two small buttons to achieve the right gear ratio? Would you be interested if this system could shift automatically according to your preset cadence or even your voice command? What if it was priced not in the thousands but in the low hundreds of dollars? Enough with the questions! We interviewed Paul Gallagher of XShifter live from China on this show to get you some answers. If you watch you will learn from the inventor about the next great innovation in biking that is incredibly well suited for recumbent bikes and many folks riding adaptive trikes.
Click here for this show's YouTube Live Chat Archive
Pat Franz from TerraCycle
Pat and his company started 20 years ago designing recumbent bikes. Eventually the accessories he designed and built for that bike became so sought after he changed his focus to building and selling them full time. Today T-Cycle is widely viewed in the bent world as the "go to" place for racks, mounts, bags, idlers, stems, flags, fairings and just about anything you could want for your recumbent. We visited Pat, talked about his fascinating history, and took a tour of the shop where all the magic happens. We had a live remote interview of Amanda Coker on her HAMR run from Florida by sports anchor Denny Voorhees and a News Report from Bryan Ball. We were proud to announce our first show sponsor RANS Bikes!
Click here for the Live Chat Archive for this show
Special from Cycle-Con 2016
Our full coverage of this awesome event from Cincinnati, Ohio. All the interviews, crowd reports, and test track shenanigans we could pack into one video. Thanks to Denny Voorhees, George Mills, Marilyn Solomon, Phil and Janet Paulsen for their assistance in producing this video. Special thanks to my pals Larry Varney and Bryan Ball for appearing in this video.
Recovering Mobility with Recumbent Trikes
Adapting trikes for riders with special needs is something that opens up a new world of mobility for the folks who can get them. On this month's show we talk to some key people involved with evaluating the riders and modifying the bents required to meet their needs. Dror Paley is a world renowned orthopedic surgeon and director of the Paley Institute in West Palm Beach, Florida. He is recognized around the world for his expertise in limb reconstruction and lengthening. Perhaps most importantly Dror rides a Bachetta CA 2.0 and a recumbent tandem. He talks to us about the types of conditions that benefit from adaptive mobility trikes and how they can be so effective. Our next panelist is an old friend of the show-Jeff Yonker from TerraTrike. "Chonk" was live from CUBE in Chicago and gave us a rolling tour of the show while riding his trike! He then talked about how his company has worked with customers and dealers to facilitate adapting TerraTrikes for people in need. We also had Gary Dagastine from Northwest Recumbent Cycles a dealer who specializes in creating just the right trike for his special customers and Dana Lieberman of Bent Up Cycles. Dana is well known West Coast dealer who is known for working closely with all his customers and works with folks with special needs routinely. Lastly, we have Letitia Collins from Palm Springs, California. Letitia is an adaptive cyclist and really gave us some insight as to what that actually means. We had Bryan Ball's debut news report from the Laidback News Desk and I read Denny's Sports report to round out this incredible show.
Click here for the Live Chat Archive for this show
Warren Beauchamp
This month we continued our theme of recumbents in the quest for human powered speed records. Warren Beauchamp is another pivotal figure in the world of building and racing the fastest bents ever ridden. He was there at the beginning of these organized racing events and continues to support them today both in person and through his venerable website known as Recumbents.com. We talked with Warren about his incredible bent building projects, looked in depth at what goes into making one of his racing creations, and had a look back at his records and racing career. He is shared with us how all he's learned can apply to every day riding on your bike. Please join us live to chat with our panel and special guest Warren Beauchamp.
We were happy to also host Charles Coyne with news from October's Recumbent Cycle-Con 2016 in Cincinatti and Julie Keating with a Chicagoland Unconventional Bicycle Expo (CUBE) 2016 update. We also had a special last minute live interview from Battle Mountain, Nevada with Team Delft and Amsterdam. They told us all about their run for the world speed record this week at the World Human Powered Speed Challenge and gave us a look at their vehicle and a chat with it's rider.
We were happy to also host Charles Coyne with news from October's Recumbent Cycle-Con 2016 in Cincinatti and Julie Keating with a Chicagoland Unconventional Bicycle Expo (CUBE) 2016 update. We also had a special last minute live interview from Battle Mountain, Nevada with Team Delft and Amsterdam. They told us all about their run for the world speed record this week at the World Human Powered Speed Challenge and gave us a look at their vehicle and a chat with it's rider.
December 2016-Open Forum
I hope you'll watch the YouTube video of this show. It was great fun talking to Larry Hager of Renu Cycle in Alberta, Canada about his shop and his mods on the ICE Q. His e-assist is something to see so have a look. Also thanks to Bruce Herdman for dropping in and telling us about his Bachetta CA 2.0 and his experience riding around the Philadelphia area.
This was a great start to what I hope we can continue monthly. More bent shops showing us around and more of you just dropping in to share your stories. We'll see what this evolves into but I can't wait to meet more of you on the show. Let me know how you think we can improve the webcast and we'll try to improve it each month. Please help us by participating. Contact me anytime and we'll get you on the next show. Thanks!
This was a great start to what I hope we can continue monthly. More bent shops showing us around and more of you just dropping in to share your stories. We'll see what this evolves into but I can't wait to meet more of you on the show. Let me know how you think we can improve the webcast and we'll try to improve it each month. Please help us by participating. Contact me anytime and we'll get you on the next show. Thanks!
Click here for the Live Chat Archive for this show
Thom Ollinger
Our guest this month was Thom Ollinger who has spent much of his life building recumbent bikes from scratch. You see Thom has this need for speed and his very own ideas about how to achieve this goal. He has built and personally raced bikes at the IHPVA's World Human Powered Speed Challenge otherwise known as Battle Mountain. He was involved with the origins of this race and has worked with many of the world's other fastest racers. He takes great joy in working with metal and machine to create his novel designs in his garage/shop right next to his rural country home in Ohio. He is passionate about working with other bent riders to improve their performance on the bike whether they're attempting world records or just riding with friends. We showed lots of pictures of Thom's shop and bikes and had lots of questions for him as well. We were excited to have Bryan Ball from BentRider join our panel this month along with Larry Varney, Lars Komm, Carl Kidd and Denny Voorhees with our monthly Sports Report.
Click here for the Live Chat Archive for this show
Bents for the Health of It
So many of us tout the life sustaining benefits of riding our bikes and trikes. It is among the most talked about subjects in bent circles and perhaps the basis of our smug attitude toward non riders. This month we probed the medical underpinnings of such claims with two physicians who just happen to also be recumbent riders. Jim Muennig is the Associate Professor of Health Policy and Management at the Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health. His work has appeared on CNN, NPR, MSNBC and in the New York Times, and Wall Street Journal. He joined us to talk about advocating bike riding and biking infrastructure to improve public health in our communities. Next, we welcomed back to the show Dr. Jim Parker of Cruzbike. Jim is a physician and a strong advocate of the health advantages of riding recumbent bikes versus upright bikes. We'll discuss the dangers of that dreaded diamond frame seat and if falls from recumbent bikes are inherently safer. Lastly, we opened the discussion up to you using our new YouTube Live Chat and received lots of comments and questions.
Click here for the YouTube Live Chat Session Archive for this show
Shelly Mossey Urban Mobility Project
Shelly Mossey has done many things during his life and nearly every one of them involves riding his bents. NYC bike messenger, cargo carrier, street advertiser, tour guide, and gonzo bicycle advocate are just some of the incredible endeavors he has undertaken with his recumbent bikes. He stores all his bikes outside and maintains them himself-on the streets of NYC! Shelly is engaging and knowledgeable about his bikes and bent bike history. We asked him about his encounter with Gardner Martin and why he still thinks his Goldrush is the best two wheeled vehicle to navigate the streets of the Big Apple.
Special-ASME HPV Challenge 2016
On location at Ohio University in Athens, Ohio the Laidback Bike Report brings you coverage of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers Human Powered Vehicle Challenge East 2016. We interview a couple of students who represent two of the 37 engineering schools from around the country and beyond. You'll see last minute work being done, safety testing, dynamic testing and roll over checks. Those turn out to be useful in the next day's men's and women's drag racing events. We have all the excitement of the bikes screaming down the course with a couple of spectacular disasters and a few near misses. Check out the work of tomorrow's engineers today in our latest special report.
May 2016-Spezi Panel Discussion
Spezi 2016. Known in Germany as the Spezialradmesse this is the world's largest trade show of recumbents of all sorts. There were about 20 exhibitors who showed 2 wheeler recumbents and about 40 exhibitors with trikes most of them recumbent. Through the generous help of our viewers on our GoFundMe campaign Larry Varney was able to join me and my amazing crew of Lars Komm and my lovely wife Marilyn in creating the first comprehensive video coverage of this event. The results of this effort is the Laidback Bike Report Special from Spezi which you can watch below. The other result of our efforts is this Laidback Bike Report where we have a panel discussion and slide show of our experiences at Spezi. We have pictures of the indoor and outdoor exhibits, lots of bikes, trikes, and velomobiles along with our stories and commentary about the show.
Special from Spezi 2016
Our trip to Germersheim, Germany for the Spezi show was a resounding success. Thanks to all of you our Go Fund Me campaign to send Larry Varney to Germany raised over $1800 making his trip possible. With Larry's background and trike expertise we were able to provide great coverage of this amazing event as he joined Lars Komm, my wife and myself in creating an unbeatable team. We were treated like rock stars at the show and were recognized all over town. So now please sit back and enjoy the Laidback Bike Report Special from Spezi 2016. We hope you enjoy the video as much as we enjoyed making it.
Maria and Jim Parker from Cruzbike
Maria and Jim Parker are just two of the nicest people you'd hope to meet. We had an in depth discussion with Maria about what it's like to face the pain, fatigue and darkness while riding epic distances on her Cruzbike. A heartfelt discussion of her 3000 Miles to a Cure charity spurred by her sister's brave battle with brain cancer and the 2013 RAAM triumph it inspired. We talked with Jim about Cruzbike's unique MBB/FWD setup and how this creates record breaking performance. Dr. Parker walked us through the health benefits of bents in general and how he supports lifting the official racing ban in place since 1934. Larry Varney got some answers about the TTrike prototype. All this plus Denny Voorhees' Laidback Sports Report and my announcement about our Spezi coverage.
Ian Sims from Greenspeed
There is nothing more popular in the bent world today than the trike. If there is one man identified with creating the modern day recumbent three wheeler and bringing a viable product to market that would have to be Ian Sims. The fascinating story of how Ian turned his job loss into a personal period of creativity and opportunity was the subject of this Laidback Bike Report. Joining me was our special guest panelist Larry Varney as we sat down with the Cycle-Con Industry Recognition Award winner and Greenspeed CEO live from Australia. Denny Voorhees delivered a great Laidback Sports Report and we took lots of questions and comments for our guest as always.
All Things Velomobile
Have you ever wondered what it would be like to wrap a beautifully designed shell around your bike or trike? Suddenly protected from the elements and allowing you to maintain speeds you never thought were possible the Velomobile has carved out a niche in the Human Powered Vehicle world. It's riders (widely known as Velonauts) are an incredibly vocal and close knit group even among the vocal and close knit bent community of which they are active members. This month on the Laidback Bike Report we depart from our usual personal profile format to bring you "All Things Velomobile". We hope watch our panel of prominent Velonauts in a lively discussion that you should find educational and fun. Our guest panelists are Josef Janning from Bonn, Germany who created the 2011 international velomobile tour across America known as ROAM. Our second panelist is Doug Davis aka Mr. Wizard from the BentRider velomobile forums. Doug is a bent racer of some renown from Dallas, Texas and gave us a live peek at his two velomobiles and the amazing modifications he has made to them. Lastly, we are excited to have had Luc Fournier from Ottawa, Canada. Luc has toured extensively including a solo velomobile ride from Key West back home to Canada. He also authors a widely respected blog he calls "The Velomobile Observer". All this and my short news report made for a jam packed hour or so. We hope you'll find this month's Laidback Bike Report worthy of your attention.
Special-Peter Stull Demo Days St. Louis January 2016
Last Saturday I met Peter Stull the "Bicycle Man" at Tower Grove Park in St. Louis for a stop on his Demo Days tour. I was able to shoot some video of him showing off his new Linear Limo and Roadster models. He explains some of the design and production stories behind these bikes as he assembles each of the folded bents for the audience. Test rides follow as we conclude this Laidback Bike Report Special Edition video.
Laidback Bike Report Tours Catrike Factory January 2016
On our recent visit to Florida we had a chance to visit with Mark Colliton and Rich Pinto at Bacchetta, John and Jacquie Schlitter of Schlitter Bikes, and Mark Egeland of Catrike. Here is a short video from our tour of the Catrike factory.
Kurt Searvogel Live Remote Interview
As most of you know Kurt Searvogel aka Tarzan is very close to achieving a new world record for most miles ridden on a bicycle in one year. The record is 75,066 miles and he's ridden some of it on his Bacchetta CA 2.0. It looks like Monday will be the day and I've just received confirmation that we will have a live report from the scene of his ride tomorrow on the Laidback Bike Report. I'm not sure whether we'll have video or just audio but we will talk to Kurt's wife Alicia who has been a huge part of this record breaking endeavor. Update-He did it! His final total was 76,076 miles.
AD Carson/Kurt Searvogel
Have you ever thought about building your own recumbent bike or having one built for you for well under $1000? How about using recycled upright bike frames in the process to make this an environmentally sound and less wasteful project? It just so happens I know a guy. His name is A.D. Carson his business is called Recycled Recumbents. Here is the full interview.
Bryan Ball from BentRider
It's Bryan Ball from BentRider who headlined our December show. Bryan was a fascinating guest and helped us understand the origins of his epic website. We were honored to have Bryan reveal the nominees for the recumbent Bike and Trike of the Year awards live on our show.
Peter Stull from Bicycle Man
Few of us would view a chicken farm and envision the next location for a recumbent bike shop. It is this creative nature that makes Peter Stull such an interesting person. His Alfred Station, New York shop known as the Bicycle Man is part bike dealership, part bike museum, and all part of his fascinating story. Meet Peter and learn about the bent characters he's met and how that has shaped who he is today. We talk about everything from the historic bents hanging from his ceiling to his acquisition of Linear Bikes.
Mark Colliton from Bacchetta Bikes
He had a hand in the early days of American recumbent news and design. RCN, V-Rex, MC2, Barcroft Dakota and now Bacchetta. If those names mean something to you don't miss this Laidback Bike Report. If they mean nothing to you the rich history of bents in the late 20th century awaits. Our special guest for October is Mark Colliton recumbent pioneer and co-owner of Bacchetta Bikes. This is an interview you won't soon forget.
Recumbent Cycle-Con 2015-Special Report
We left our respective studios in September 2015 and headed to Recumbent Cycle-Con in Cincinnati, Ohio. We recommend you watch the entire video at once but if you can't there is a Table of Contents for each featured interview. Just click on the timestamp to jump to that segment.
We left our respective studios in September 2015 and headed to Recumbent Cycle-Con in Cincinnati, Ohio. We recommend you watch the entire video at once but if you can't there is a Table of Contents for each featured interview. Just click on the timestamp to jump to that segment.
Rolf Garthus from the Hostel Shoppe and Julia Keating for CUBE
September 13th was our latest jam packed webcast. First we had a chat with Julie Keating from the Chicagoland Unconventional Bicycle Expo set for the first weekend in October. Julie told us about what's in store for you if you visit this Spezi inspired show. Then we had a very special guest who is another in our recent line of "Pillars of the Recumbent Community" interviews. Rolf Garthus from the Hostel Shoppe joined me for an in depth talk about his vast experience from the last 30+ years in the bent world. From ownership of America's largest recumbent retail store to his development of the popular Volae brand (his own line of recumbents) he is an incredibly well respected "elder statesman" of laidback bikes. Rolf had plenty of stories to tell that will both educate and entertain you.
Charles Coyne from Recumbent Cycle-Con
We had a fascinating chat on August 2nd with special guest Charles Coyne. Charles is the Publisher of Recumbent and Tandem Magazine and the producer of Recumbent Cycle-Con. We talked to Charles about his venerable magazine and got the latest about the largest American recumbent bicycle exposition known as Cycle-Con.
John and Jacquie Schlitter from Vite Bikes
We were very excited to have John and Jacquie Schlitter as our featured guests this month. This husband and wife team are legendary in the recumbent world with respect to recumbent design, manufacturing, and racing. John was involved with the early stages of RANS, Bachetta, and now the Encore bikes. Both John and Jacquie are record holding endurance racers and are now co-owners of Vite Bikes in Southern Florida. We had a conversation about their part in the history of recumbent manufacturing in US, their amazing record as long distance recumbent riders, and their latest venture as owners of a recumbent bike shop.
Jeff "Chonk" Yonker from TerraTrike
Originally broadcast on June 7th we had the privilege of hosting TerraTrike's marketing director Jeff "Chonk" Yonker. After a run down of the company's history and future Jeff took us on a tour of the facility in Grand Rapids, Michigan.
Matt and Paul from Utah Trikes
Matt and Paul from Utah Trikes were our guests in the May 2015 show. The stars of "The Trike Show" were wonderful to interview and they gave us an interesting tour of the shop.
Nicolas and Gokben Ayme
Gokben and Nicolas Ayme were our intrepid guests for the April 2015 show. They are known as Frogs on Wheels and are riding their recumbent bikes around the world. We interviewed them in Turkey.
Jean Ferraton from Vida Bikes
In March Jean Ferraton was our guest. His company is Vida Bikes which runs tours in Southern France and Spain renting only recumbent bikes.
Laidback Bike Report February 2015-First Show!
February 2015 marked our first attempt at the Laidback Bike Report. We had a glitch after about 12 minutes so not much content. I have it here mostly for historical purposes.
